In recent years, public mobile wireless communication services have offered a number of message communication services. For example, wireless carriers developed a short message service (SMS) to transmit text messages for display on the mobile stations. Although text messaging remains popular, demand has arisen to communicate messages containing larger more complex components, such as images, sound or video (moving images alone or with associated audio). To meet this demand, and as the public wireless communication networks have evolved to provide greater bandwidth and packet based services, the industry has developed a multimedia message service or “MMS.”
MMS is a store and forward messaging service/standard that allows mobile devices to send and receive messages that may include any combination of multimedia objects (images, audio, video, rich text, etc). MMS has been designed to work with third generation mobile packet data services such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and 1x-Evolution-Data Only (EVDO). MMS provides an end-to-end solution for personal multimedia mobile communication services. For example, MMS offers capabilities for various types of multimedia communications including terminal-to-terminal, terminal-to-application server, and application server-to-terminal.
As noted, MMS is a store and forward type service. In a typical message delivery scenario for communication to a mobile station, a sender transmits a message to a multimedia message service center (MMSC). Picture Messaging Service, for example, is done by mobile stations sending pictures to an MMSC, and the MMSC forwards picture messages to the recipients' mobile stations. In such an implementation, the MMSC stores a message from the sender's mobile station and sends a notification to the mobile station of the intended recipient. The notification includes a message locator, typically a URL, that identifies the location of the message in storage. Upon receipt of the notification message, the mobile station of the intended recipient uses the message locator to communicate with the MMSC and obtain delivery of the MMS message from storage. If necessary, the MMSC may also convert or transcode the multimedia content from a format in which it was received into a format that is compatible with the mobile station of the intended recipient.
FIG. 5 is a simplified functional diagram showing an example of a typical wireless mobile communication network, which offers such a store and forward type MMS service using a number of MMSCs. As shown, a communication network 100 may provide mobile voice telephone communications as well as packet data services, for numerous mobile stations. For purposes of later discussion, mobile stations 103, 105 and 107 appear in the drawing, to represent examples of the mobile stations that may receive various services via the network 100. The network may allow users of the mobile stations to initiate and receive telephone calls to each other as well as through the public switched telephone network (not shown). The signaling resources deployed to support voice services, however, also support SMS communications, as discussed later. For purposes of this discussion, the network 100 also enables any and all users of the mobile stations 103, 105 and 107 to initiate and receive various other forms of user traffic via packet switched data communications, for example to or from the public data network referred to as the Internet (not shown). The packet data communication capabilities of the network 100 also support the MMS service.
The mobile communication network 100 typically is implemented by a number of interconnected networks. Hence, the overall network 100 may include a number of radio access networks (RANs), as well as regional networks interconnecting a number of RANs and a wide area network (WAN) interconnecting the regional networks to core network elements, such as the MMSCs.
Physical elements of a RAN operated by one of the mobile service providers or carriers, include a number of base stations represented in the example by the base station (BS) 109. Although not separately shown, such a base station 109 typically comprises a base transceiver system (BTS) which communicates via an antennae system at the site of base station and over the airlink with one or more of the mobile stations 103, 105 and 107, when the mobile stations are within range. Each base station typically includes a BTS coupled to several antennae mounted on a radio tower within a coverage area often referred to as a “cell.” The BTS is the part of the radio network that sends and receives RF signals to/from the mobile stations that the base station currently serves.
The radio access network also includes a traffic network represented generally by the two-way arrow at 111, which carries the user communications for the mobile stations 103, 105 and 107. Individual elements such as switches and/or routers forming the traffic network 111 are omitted here form simplicity. For packet data communications, such as MMS communications, the traffic network 111 supports two-way packet communication of mobile station traffic between the base stations 109 and a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) 113. The PDSN 113 establishes, maintains and terminates logical links to the associated portion of the radio access network. The PDSN also supports point-to-point protocol (PPP) user data sessions with the mobile stations.
The PDSN 113 provides the packet routing function from the radio network formed by bases stations 109 and traffic network 111 to/from other packet switched networks, in the example, via a local private Ethernet 115 providing packet transport between network elements in a particular region. The regional IP backbone network 117 utilizes OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) as a routing protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) traffic. In the example, the IP routing elements in a particular region coupled for packet communication via the Ethernet 115 are configured as OSPF region 1 (117) in our example. The components in OSPF region 1 (117) include an access router 119 connected to the Ethernet 115, which provides packet routing connectivity to a wide area network (WAN) 121, which provides backhaul connectivity to other regions (not shown) as well as to various core network elements represented by elements 123 and 125 in the example. The illustrated example substantially represents a CDMA2000 3G type network, that is to say using PDSN type elements and/or OSPF type protocol for IP routing decisions in the regional IP backbone, although similar MMS communications may be implemented in other types of networks. The core network elements relating to the MMS service, will be discussed more, later.
In the example, the network 100 also includes one or more Short Message Service Centers (SMSCs) 127, in the local region. The SMSC 127 connects to the regional Ethernet network 115 as well as to a SS7 (Signaling System 7) type signaling network 129. The SS7 signaling network 129 provides out of band signaling for call set-up for mobile stations, via the radio access network, in accord with the SS7 protocol. However, the SS7 signaling network 129 also is available for IS41D type communication of SMS messages to the mobile stations. The SMSC 127, for example, may receive incoming IP message packets through the network 115, e.g. from a remote network similar to the network 100 and/or from the Internet (not shown) for delivery via the SS7 network 129, the base station 109 and a signaling channel over the air link to a destination mobile station. The SMSC 127 also supports mobile station to mobile station SMS message delivery.
The network 100 of FIG. 5 also supports multimedia messaging service (MMS). For that purpose, the network 100 includes one or more multimedia messaging service centers (MMSCs), two of which are shown at 131 and 133 in the drawing. The network will typically include gateway devices enabling the MMSCs to communicate via external networks, for example, to send and receive multimedia messages on behalf of the mobile stations to external servers and/or terminals via the Internet. Examples of such gateways are represented by the Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol gateways (GWs) 135 and 137. In an implementation such as shown in the drawing, the MMSCs and gateways are implemented as core network elements. The MMSCs 131, 133 connect to the WAN 121 for packet communication with the OSPF regional networks (such as OSPF 1 network 117). Although they may be implemented in a variety of ways on one or more physical server platforms, the relevant standard calls for a MMSC to include a MMS relay functionality and a MMS server functionality. The number of relays and/or servers in a particular MMSC depends on the expected level of MMS service that the platform will support. Also, functions of the MMS relay and MMS server may be combined within a MMSC platform so as to appear as a single entity.
The MMSCs 131, 133 support client-server type multimedia communications with other host computers (not shown) via the SMPP GWs 135, 137 as well as peer-to-peer type multimedia communications for the users of mobile stations 103, 105 and 107 in the illustrated region as well as with mobile stations in other regions. Of note for purposes of this discussion, for a peer-to-peer type multimedia communication, multimedia user messages are sent from a user agent application on one user's terminal, such as 103 to a user agent application on one or more other user terminals such as 105, via one or more of the MMSCs 131, 133, regardless of the region or regions of operation of the two mobile stations.
As shown by the above discussion of FIG. 5, a typical implementation of a network offering store and forward type MMS service requires all MMS messages and related signaling to go through one or more of the MMSCs 131, 133. The MMSCs are centralized resources serving many regional networks. Hence, when deployed in the manner shown, each MMS communication originating at a mobile station entails communications from the local or regional network serving the sending station through the carrier's wide area network (WAN) 121 to the appropriate MMSC 131 or 133. For a mobile to mobile type message communication, the network 100 must then deliver the message to the appropriate destination mobile station. In such a case, one of the MMSCs 131, 133 sends the message through the WAN 121 to the appropriate regional network, which in turn delivers the message to the destination mobile station. In some cases, the delivery goes back through the same regional network.
Consider a picture service type MMS communication. A user of sending mobile station 103 takes a picture and decides to send that picture via MMS to another user's mobile station 105. The user sending the message enters the telephone number of the mobile station 105 in a destination field, on the MMS application display screen shown on the user's mobile station 103; and then the user hits the ‘SEND’ button. The originating mobile station 103 creates a HTTP message with MMS protocols, containing an identification of the mobile station 103, the destination telephone number of the mobile station 105, and the content (picture in this example). The mobile station 103 sends the HTTP message over the air to the base station 109, which forwards it to the PDSN 113. The message is routed through the Ethernet 115 and the access router 119 of OSPF region 1 (117) to the WAN 121; and through the WAN 121, the message is routed to one of the MMSCs such as 131 which serves customers associated with the OSPF region 1 and corresponding radio access networks.
For simplicity, we will assume that the MMSC 131 will handle delivery to the destination mobile station 105, without the need to communicate with another MMSC 133. Hence, the MMSC 131 executes the logic to determine whether or not to deliver the message as requested, e.g. whether the mobile stations 103 and 105 subscribe to MMS service, billing determination (prepaid or postpay) and the like. If the MMSC 131 determines to proceed with message delivery, it sends an acknowledgement back to the mobile station 103 and creates a billing record with regard to message transmission by the mobile station 103. The MMSC 131 also stores the MMS message content and generates a URI, for example, in the form of a URL, which points to the message in storage.
The MMSC 131 then sends a SMS message intended for the destination mobile station 105. The message includes the URI assigned to the message and the IP address of the MMSC 131. The MMSC sends the message through the WAN 121, the access router 117 and the Ethernet 115 to the SMSC 127. The SMSC 127 stores and reformats the message for IS41D communication and relays it via the SS7 network 129, the base station 109 and the airlink to the mobile station 105. The SMS message ‘wakes-up’ the MMS application (client) on the destination mobile station 105. The MMS application causes the mobile station 105 to send a HTTP GET message back through the network, using the IP address of the MMSC 113 as the destination address and containing the URI of the stored message. More specifically, this entails sending an IP packet communication to that IP address through the base station 109, the PDSN 113, the Ethernet 115 and the access router 119, and through the WAN 121 to the MMSC 131.
Part of the HTTP GET message will identify the type of device, that is to say the type of mobile station, of destination station 105. The MMSC 131 retrieves the identified message. Based on the device type, the MMSC 131 will access a transcoder function in or associated with the MMSC to convert the message (if necessary) to a format that is compatible with the device type of the destination mobile station 105. The MMSC 131 sends the MMS message (transcoded if/as necessary) back to the destination mobile station 105 as a packet transmission, that is to say through the WAN 121, the access router 119, the Ethernet 115, the PDSN 113, the base station 109 and over the air to the destination mobile station 105 in our example. If the communication is successful, the mobile station 105 displays the message to the user, and the mobile station 105 sends an acknowledgement back to the MMSC 131. In response to the acknowledgement, the MMSC 131 creates a billing record, with regard to message delivery to the destination mobile station 105.
In current commercial deployments, this MMS communication via the core MMSC applies for all MMS communications, including those between mobile stations of the customers of one particular carrier, even if as in our example, the origination and destination mobile stations are operating through the same regional network and/or even through the same base station. In other words, even if the message only needs to go across the room or down the street, the message and associated signaling goes back and forth through the entire network to one or more of the core MMSCs.
As shown by the outline of an exemplary MMS message communication above, both sending the message up from the mobile station 103 to the MMSC 131 and delivery from the MMSC 131 to the destination mobile station 103 entail signaling exchanges between the MMSC and the respective mobile stations, as well as the actual message transmissions. These communications consume valuable WAN resources. Also, support for substantial amounts of MMS traffic requires the carrier to deploy a substantial number of MMSCs with substantial message communication and storage capabilities. In a nationwide network of one large wireless carrier, support sufficient to handle current busy hour traffic has required deployment of nine MMSCs in three data farms at various locations around the United States. MMSC deployments are expensive. At least one carrier that provides MMS service has determined that the WAN and MMSC deployments run approximately $10,000 to support each 1 message per second of MMS traffic, using the approach outlined above.
It has been noted, that a substantial portion of MMS traffic (e.g. as much as 70%) is for communication of messages from mobile station to mobile station for customers of the same carrier. The remainder goes to/from stations of other carriers or to/from e-mail or involves communications with host computers or the like operating as application servers. To reduce the actual message traffic and to reduce the number of MMSCs, the network might be adapted to permit communications of MMS messages directly through the network between sending and receiving mobile stations.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0142029 to Shao et al., for example, provides a wireless network system that enables direct wireless delivery of a multimedia message from a first MMS user agent to a second MMS user agent. In operation, a MMS server receives a request to send a multimedia message to the second MMS user agent, from the first MMS user agent. The request includes an identification (ID) of the second MMS user agent. Based on the ID number of the second MMS user agent, the MMS server obtains an Internet address of the second MMS user agent from a core network. Then, the MMS server forwards the Internet address to the first MMS user agent to enable the first MMS user agent to wirelessly deliver the multimedia message directly to the second MMS user agent using the Internet address. With this approach, the MMS server or relay (e.g. of the MMSC) need not receive, store and forward the actual message containing the multimedia content(s). However, it is necessary to signal the MMS server (e.g. in the MMSC) with the identification of the destination (second user agent), obtain an IP address from the core network and the MMS server, and provide that address to the sending/originating station to facilitate the actual message communications between the two mobile stations. A central MMS message server is still needed for the mobile station to mobile station communication, and the signaling communications with that server still place a burden on the WAN or core network.
Hence a need still exists for a further improved a MMS message communication technique, which reduces communications via core network elements such as a MMSC or other MMS server, for mobile station-to-mobile station traffic.